Otronicon v.9 is in the can and it’s time we roll the credits on the inaugural FilmSlam! More than two dozen films were submitted in the genres of animation, gaming, science fiction, fantasy, cult and horror and screened for a live audience on the second day of Otronicon in the Digital Adventure Theater: A National Geographic Experience.

Congratulations to all the filmmakers selected to showcase their film and who won awards!

Judges Picks

1st: Brain Divided – Ringling College of Art and Design 2nd: Dia de los Muertos – Ringling College of Art and Design 3rd: It’s a Tie! • Runaway – Ringling College of Art and Design • Chicken or the Egg – Ringling College of Art and Design

To a kid, Otronicon is a dream come true — four floors of video games, robots, virtual reality and more. While the event can be known for the fun that can be had, it’s also recognized for sparking a child’s interest in science and tech careers through the appeal of interactive technology.

The event promotes the concept of “made in Orlando, played in Orlando” with many chances to interact with the creative professionals that make popular video games and discover the growing career opportunities available locally.

Ever dream of becoming a super hero? Playing the hero in video games may actually help make that a reality!

Violent video games have long been thought to increase aggression, but it appears that the opposite is true as well. A study done at the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Laboratory shows that having superpowers in a video game can make people more altruistic.

Stanford researchers used a simulation game to test their theory. One at a time, 60 men and women strapped on virtual reality goggles and were whisked away to a virtual cityscape. Their airborne mission: to deliver insulin to a diabetic child. Half of the test subjects completed their mission by flying in a helicopter; the other half controlled their flight by a series of arm motions, like Superman.

Arcade games by definition are typically coin-operated machines such as pinball machines, video games and merchandisers (games which use claw cranes).

The first popular arcade games date back to the 1920s with the first coin-operated, fortune telling machines. In 1966 Sega introduced Periscope, an early submarine simulator, which became a worldwide success and the first arcade game to cost one quarter to play, a price which remained the standard for arcade games for many years to come.

Thinking back to high school geometry, did you ever think you might calculate the hypotenuse of a triangle in your adult life? Or apply the principles of acceleration learned in physics class?

For aviators, understanding math and physics is a must for reviewing flight plans and calculating fuel usage. Students, however, often don't see a correlation between math and science and their life experiences. Like generations before, they find themselves questioning when they will ever use the lessons taught in school.

What kids do understand is technology.

When it comes to technology in education, there is an enormous amount of evidence that indicates immersive, game-based learning environments foster deeper learning and provide opportunities to develop and exercise collaborative skills.

It’s all a matter of harnessing gaming power for an academic purpose. Lockheed Martin is working to combine technology and learning for professionals and students through its Prepar3D® simulation software. It’s one conduit to help engage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies.

Hundreds of guests whet their palate and their mind at one of Orlando’s premiere wine events, The Science of Wine, on May 9, 2015 at Orlando Science Center. The Science of Wine is not just another wine tasting, but an oenological odyssey with presentations on multiple aspects of wine growing and wine tasting as well as the opportunity to sample more than 100 fine wines from the world’s most important wine regions.

This event is a fundraiser for Orlando Science Center and was presented by Akerman for the fifth consecutive year. Southern Wine & Spirits has also supported the event since the beginning and returns as the exclusive wine provider.

A limited number of seats remain for a seminar on cutting-edge wine-making techniques used in Washington state, which ranks second in the United States behind California in the production of wine.

Hosting the journey is Thom Horsey, national wine educator for Ste Michelle Wine Estates and Washington's founding winery. Horsey is a 35-year veteran of the industry and has conducted more than 1,200 trainings, seminars, dinners and tastings on almost every aspect of wine.

More than 200 golfers took a swing for science on March 26, 2015 during the 32nd Annual Cosmic Golf Challenge at the Walt Disney World Golf Magnolia and Palm Courses. Sponsored by Bright House Networks, the event raised funds for youth education programs at the Science Center. Various corporate teams and individual players came together to putt for progress over 18 holes of best ball tournament play on two separate courses.

Hole sponsors, "mulligans" available for purchase and raffle prizes generated revenue, and professional golfers could step in to swing for a donation. Players enjoyed lunch, dinner, an awards ceremony, drawings, contests and prizes. A special thank you to Bright House Networks, Jaguar Technologies, KableLink Communication, Knight Enterprises, Noble Resources, Oakstone Capital Partners and Structured Broadband Services for their generous and ongoing support of the Orlando Science Center.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER, A FLORIDA-BASED NONPROFIT CORPORATION (REGISTRATION NO. CH2342), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.